Operation Evergreen in full swing

FRAZEYSBURG, Ohio — Ohio Christmas tree growers are donating real Christmas trees as part of Operation Evergreen sponsored by the Ohio Christmas Tree Association with support from the Christmas SPIRIT Foundation and FedEx Corporation.

Operation Evergreen will help to kick off the Trees for Troops. The Ohio Christmas Tree Association has been delivering trees to troops stationed over seas since 1995.

Growers have donated trees with local school children, churches and veteran’s groups donating decorations so that each military unit receiving a tree has everything needed to celebrate the holidays.

Collection

Tree collection and inspection will take place at the Ohio Department of Agriculture in Reynoldsburg, Ohio, Nov. 10.

Operation Evergreen will collect, pack and ship more than 200 Christmas trees for soldiers serving in Kuwait. FedEx Express will provide international transport. The trees should arrive around Thanksgiving.

In addition to the international transport, the Trees for Troops program will collect more than 10,000 trees to be delivered to the families of military personnel. FedEx Freight will provide the transportation of the donated trees, collected from 27 states and delivered starting the end of November into early December to more than 20 military bases.

Harvest

Frank and Mary Jan Perdulla, owners of Pioneer Trails Tree Farm, local veterans and friends will harvest Canaan fir Christmas trees at the farm on Route 224 in Poland, Ohio.

This is a rain or shine event. For more information, call Perdulla at 330-757-0884.

Ceremony

Kaleidoscope Farms will hold a ceremony for the selection of the trees that will be shipped to troops stationed overseas at 2 p.m. Nov. 8.

“Each year we like to work with our local veterans who come to the farm to pick out some trees to help bring a little bit of Christmas to our troops serving overseas,” said Dave Reese, owner of Kaleidoscope Farms near Mount Cory. “We want to do just a little something for those who do so much for all of us.”

This year, Kaleidoscope Farms will be sending four of the more than 300 Ohio Christmas trees to troops.

More information

For more information about the event or the Operation Evergreen program, contact Reese at 419-722-1154.